Janelle Monáe and Kendrick Lamar Lead the Way In This Year’s Grammy Nominations

The Grammys are sort of like powdered sugar mini-donuts. No one’s going out of their way to get them, but you won’t turn one down if it’s offered. At this point, the Grammys are almost as famous for how many times they’ve gotten it wrong as they are for the awards themselves, and this year probably won’t be any different. But still, the award show itself generally provides at least a couple memorable performances and, you never know, this could be the year they actually get a few things right. A few of the nominees are definitely deserving.

There was a lot of love for women, with Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves, Janelle Monáe and Cardi B getting a ton of well-deserved nominations. The Black Panther soundtrack, which is effectively just a very strong Kendrick Lamar album, came through with a lot of attention too. Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” got a lot of attention, as did Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s “Shallows” from the Star Is Born soundtrack.

Those all make sense, but there are some headscratchers on here too. Greta Van Fleet, most famous for being very bad, got a Best Rock Album nom (for their debut EP). Margo Price, currently on her third studio album, scored a Best New Artist nomination. But that’s all part of what makes the Grammys so …unexpected, let’s say. Check out the full list of nominees below.